Once Upon A Snowy Eve
by DearMyFriend
Summary: What happens one cold snowy night after Ed, Al, and Winry have been stuck in a house for days on end? What happens when a nosy Ed finds a little pink book of death? And what happens when a stranger aimlessly wanders to their door?
1. Chapters 1&2

Chapter 1

"For the love of Bacon"

The snow had been coming down for days. Winry snuggled closer under her black comfortor, the down feathers encasing her in her own body heat, legs curled tight to her chest, arms crossed under her chin, toes wiggling in the pleasant morning ritual of waking. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked, once, twice; nuzzled her face against her blanket to rid her eyes of sleepys before giving a long yawn. Her eyes lighted on the single window in her bedroom and she nearly moaned out loud. Snow nearly covered the entire pane of glass, the greyness that was the sky still angrily spewing trillions of fat white flakes to further burrow her inside a prison.

She dreaded the thought of having to lift the blanket to get up, her bladder aching warningly and she tightened her knees to her chest ignoring it. If she fell back asleep, maybe it would go away. Still no power; the blank digital clock perched carelessly on her white washed dresser confirmed it, and she followed the black chord to the outlet to make sure that it was indeed plugged in. She exhaled, her breath fogging out before her in a single white cloud. She mumbled, groaned, then brought the covers up and over her head.

The squeaky hinges of her door protested as it was forced open, but Winry kept her head under her blankets. Maybe whoever it was would go away if she feigned sleep.

"Winry, breakfast is ready."

A groan.

"Ed made toast and eggs?" A question, trying to pique her interest perhaps. It would take a lot more than that to get her out of the warm cocoon she had made for herself.

Another groan.

"And Bacon?" A bit of a smirk there, she could tell in his voice. Bastard.

Her stomach growled, her bladder shuddered and she squeezed her knees together. Oh, this was a pickle. But there was bacon. Was it worth it? Food or warmth? What foul and terrible forces were at work to make a girl choose! "Why don't you bring it to me, Al? You'd be my favorite!"

Al cleared his throat and gentle footsteps approached. Winry smiled from benieth her blankets. Al was such a good kid, and that was his downfall. It allowed Winry to wrap him around her finger whenever it benifited her. With Al, Winry could have her bacon, and eat it too.

"Thanks Al, you're the best."

"Oh, how gracious, your Laziness. You flatter me, surely!"

Boy, was Al sounding a lot like Ed! Winry smirked and snorted. "Yeah yeah, just get me my food, will ya? Your brother is such a scrooge, he's not as nice as you, Al."

"Oh, I've got your food alright."

Winry's eyebrows rose, and she smiled. "Really? Did you have it all along?"

Peeking her head out from the confines of her blankets Winry was greeted by a pair of glittering amber eyes. Winry's stomach sank into her toes, her cheeks scorchingly hot as Edward glowered down at her, plate of steaming hot breakfast resting on his good hand. His lips curled slightly at the edges, automail limb on his hip in a proper scolding manner, one booted foot tapping inpaitently.

"Oh, Edward," She offered with a smile still hidden benieth her blankets, "Good morning."

Ed balanced the plate on a single finger and lowered its deliciously smelling contents closer to her, she could just make out the soft yellow yokes wiggling in his grip, could nearly smell the grease bubbling on the crip strips of bacon. Her mouth was watering, her stomach urging her to leap from the warmth of her comforter to scarf down her breakfast and ease its aching need… but her limbs shivered at the mere thought. Damn her feminine ways, sleeping in tanktops and shorts in the dead of winter with no electricity. She could barely make sense of it herself.

"Oh, Alphonze. What do you say to an extra helping of breakfast? There's no use letting this go to waste." Ed offered with a nonchalant smirk, laden hand extended towards him.

"B-Brother?" Al stuttered, obviously flustered at being dragged into the line of fire.

Winry perked up at this and extracted her entire face from her blankets. Her eyes glittered malice, a warning to Ed not to dare mess with her breakfast. But Ed was already rushing towards the door, Al gone completely. By some force unknown to even her, Winry was overcome with the sudden desire to inflict pain and grabbed her pillow from under her head and sat up, blankets falling away as she launched it at the space where Ed had been. She frowned at it, calculating how much damage a pillow would have done. Not the desired effect, and she cursed as her arms were instantly riddled with gooseflesh. She wrapped her hands around her upperarms and rubbed quickly.

"Ughh! ED!" She scowled as she swung her legs out from under her and placed them to the iceblock that was her floor. She squealed and rushed to her closet throwing the doors wide. She grabbed the first sweatshirt her hands happened to light on and grabbed a thick pair of sweatpants. She pulled them on over her tank top and shorts, toes painfully cold. She slipped her feet into green frog shaped slippers and wiggled her toes inside. Ahh. That was much better. She could almost consider herself comfortable. Now, if only she could remember to wear sweats to bed…

Winry grumbled as she exited her room and smoothed her long blonde hair around her face to keep the tangles from flying around her head like her own personal electromagnetic field. The last thing she wanted was to give the Elric's another reason to tease her. Although, them teasing her would give her the outlet she needed to extract her vengence upon the two of them without the nagging feeling of guilt that usualy followed.

Ed and Al were sitting in the living room, both fiddling with a stack of books on the sofa. It seemed the two of them were bickering, Ed grumbling under his breath throwing one book after the other into a pile to his left, Al trying desperately to catch them before they hit the ground, oddball books falling from his grasp in the process.

"What are you two idoits doing?" She asked as she poked around in the dining room for the whereabouts of her breakfast.

"Deciding on kindling." Ed muttered as he threw another book.

Al yelped and caught it expertly and Winry smiled at him. Since he had gotten his body back, it had been like he had never been without it. Watching his movements made her cherish the Elric's even more than she had before. They had so nearly been lost to her--- … kindling?

" What do you mean 'kindling', Edward?" She growled as she stomped towards the couch, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I told him not to, Winry! I swear!" Al whimpered over the stack of books in his arms.

Winry looked to the hearth where the fire roared content, large licking flames that ensured her survival, which she was thankful for, but what had been feeding it since they had run out of firewood two days ago? She hadnt really thought about it up until this point.

"Ah, calm down. Sacrificing little things for survival I think isnt asking for much. Issue no. 236, Automail of the tundra? Puh-leeze. Throw this one in there too, Al."

"Issue 236? THAT'S MY FAVORITE ISSUE, ED! You've been burning my Automail Monthly magazines?!" Her voice was a hysterical screech at this point, but Ed merely shoved his pinky in his ear and gave it a good twist.

Winry could feel her blood pressure shoot through the roof. This was unacceptable. She could deal with the teasing, she could even deal with the whole food thing… but her magazines? Oh, it was on.

Winry dove over the couch, arms outstretched for Edward's neck, mouth pulled back in a snarl. Al squeaked and flopped over backwards, hands flailing and magazines fluttering around him. Winry smashed into the side of Ed's head with her shoulder and he squealed as the two of them rolled off the couch and onto the floor. Winry frowned as she shook his shoulders, the fact that his head was smashing against the floor boards only a minor worry flitting behind the more imporant raging inferno of anger.

"What ELSE did you burn, Edward?!"

Smack.

"All my Automail notes?!"

Smack. Smack.

"Every tool magazine I've ever owned?"

Smack. Smack. Smack.

"My DIARY?!"

"Well… about your diary…" He gurgled.

Winry nearly fell over. "Please tell me you're kidding, because I may just throw you into the fire."

"We didn't burn it, Winry!" Al whimpered as he pushed magazines and other odd books around on the floor in a panic. "At least I don't think so…"

Winry frowned down at Ed, his body prone benieth her, legs straddled on either side of his torso, hands gripping his shoulders and keeping him pinned to the floor. She suddenly became self conscious, her face half obscured by frazzled, frizzled, tangled blonde hair. Her cheeks were on fire and she couldn't control it. Ed peered up at her through her hair, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Oi, you feeling alright? You're face is all red."

Was she the only one who realised the compromising position the two of them were in? She swallowed hard the lump in her throat and crossed her arms over her chest. "I-Idoit!"

She swung her legs over to one side of him and got to her feet, back turned to him as she stalked off towards the kitchen. "I'm going to go eat! If you don't find my diary by the time I come back, you're both dead!"

Winry's knees wobbled as she plopped down in the kitchen, her steaming plate of breakfast suddenly making her nervous stomach churn. What was her deal? Rough-housing with Ed had never been embarrassing for her before! It was a normal everyday occourance, he would make her mad, she would pummel him into oblivion, they would make up and the rest of the day would be fine.

She hung her head, hands steepled before her face, nose resting on her tumbs, fingers resting against her warm forehead. Maybe it was the mention of her diary that had made her feel all strange? Sure, she had had… ideas about her and Ed. Ed was a good looking man, he had always looked out for her, which could allow her to look over his stupidity… but the thought of him actually reading such thoughts? It made her want to melt into the floor. She groaned and picked up her fork.

Ed hadnt seemed weird, he had acted just as normally as any other morning. Maybe she was just looking into it too much. Being a girl sure was inconvient sometimes. Without another thought, Winry poked the yoke of her egg and began to eat her breakfast.

Chapter 2

"To read or not to read? That is the question…"

Ed watched Winry stalk off into the kitchen and laid on the floor for a few moments more while Al shuffled around magazines beside him. He looked to his brother, Al was really frazzled about Winry's diary, and Ed didn't blame him. Winry was one scary woman, and being snowed in with her for nearly four days was scary enough without her on a rampage about her diary.

"Don't worry about it, Al. It'll turn up."

"I hope…" He muttered helplessly and he slumped over face first into the magazines. "With our luck, you most likely burned it days ago…"

Ed got to his feet and brushed ash from his backside as he smiled down at his brother. "No worries, Al. She'll forgive us."

Al groaned and flopped over, legs kicking like a child. "This is all you're fauuuulllttt!"

Ed grinned as he shuffled to the room him and Al had been sharing since the storm had hit. His breast pocket sat heavily against his chest and he closed the bedroom door behind him softly. He placed the flesh of his good hand against his breast pocket and wiggled his fingers inside and extracted the small offending item. The small pink leather bound book dangled from a flowered chain between his fingers and he sat down heavily on his bed and sighed. It was much girlier than Ed had ever given the girl credit for owning, that was for damn sure. But he wasn't sure if he really wanted to know Winry's deep dark secrets. His main fear, what if she was thinking the complete opposite of what he often thought about?

"Edward?"

Ed squealed and quickly sat on the pink diary as the bedroom door opened. A blonde head peeked around the door and Ed's heart sank. Winry watched him with those big doe eyes and the guilt he was sitting on felt like molten fire benieth his ass. Joy.

Winry sauntered into the room and Ed could feel the sweat running down his back. He watched her carefully, a plastic smile plastered to his face. "Oh," he muttered shakily. "Winry, fancy seeing you here. In my room. Right now… When I'm not doing anything at all suspicious… In my room… By myself… Right now."

Winry raised her brows and Ed inwardly kicked himself in the teeth. Ugh, he was a babbling fool. He tried again, clearing his throat with a low cough. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated when he saw her face. She looked really upset, most likely about the whole diary thing. Her face lacked the usual luster it always had when the two of them were picking on eachother, it really looked like she was bothered. Ed's face dropped, a cold sweat prickling up his spine. If he didn't say anything about it and just placed it somewhere seceretly without reading it, no big deal, right?

"Hey Edward--"

A bubble of hysteria wriggled its way up the back of his throat and he let it out in a sort of half crazed giggle before placing his hands under his bottom to further hide the offending diary. To think, he had put himself in this position, and for what? A tiny book of pink death, that's what.

Winry narrowed her eyes and paused a few steps into the room. "What is up with you? Why are you sitting on your hands?"

"…It… burns…" He offered nervously.

"That's just gross."

"That's life. I've got gas, you might want to back out…"

Winry blushed. "WHAT? Ed, that's nasty!"

"I've been silently farting since you walked in the room… I would leave if I were you."

"Edward, seriously, that is the grossest--"

"Ughh--" Ed sniffed the air dramatically. "I know people say they like their own brand and all that, but… that's bad!"

"I'm out of here," Winry muttered as she turned on her heel and bolted for the door, slamming it shut behind her with a shout, "You're such a pig!"

Ed let out the breath he hadnt realised he had been holding and lifted his cheeks long enough to pull the diary out. He held it before his eyes with a groan. Guilt was a bitch.

The diar twisted one way and then the next from its flimsy chain, from cover to cover and Ed relaxed slighty. Leave it to Winry to be a closet girly-girl. The thought made his stomach tighten. Should he look? What would really come from him looking in her diary, it was probably all the same things that she complained about to him and Al, just in written form. Would he be in it?

"Like I care…" He muttered and tossed the diary onto his comfortor.

It sat there like a stalker, unseen eyes boring holes into the side of his head letting him know that it was within his reach. Why did it have such an alluring power? She wouldn't bother to mention him anyway, he wasn't around for a while while he was still trying to get Al's body back. And it wasn't like there was anything more than friendship between them!

The thought brought on a bit of gloom, a feeling he wasn't sure he should be feeling about something so trivial. He swallowed hard and grabbed the diary once more, eyes searching its dulling cover for some kind of hint of what he should or should not do.

"Great… now I'm looking to inanimate objects for answers. I must be going nuts."

"Only when they start talking back."

Ed jumped, diary flying from his hands as he threw them up in alarm. Al stepped into the room and closed the door behind him softly before he bent over to pick up Winry's diary. He held it in his hand with a blank expression, eyes doing what Ed's must have only moments before. But there were no answers there, only a maddening urge to read it that left the conscious extremely peeved.

"Aren't you going to rip me a new one?" Ed asked hanging his head in misery.

Al remained silent, his eyes meeting Eds.

"How about tell me how horrible it was to take it?"

More silence.

"Its not mine?"

…

"You should be ashamed of yourself?"

…

"And to think that I call you brother?"

Al tossed the diary at Eds feet. "Well, I'm so glad we had that conversation. Hide it somewhere before Winry finds out. I really don't want to deal with a weepy girl all night because someone didn't have the decency to mind his own business."

Ed grumbled as he scooped up the pink book and hid it under his pillow. He would slip it into her room after she had fallen asleep, somewhere where she would find it on her own, weeks later, maybe. She couldn't be mad at him if she never knew, right?

"I know, I know. I'll put it back tonight."

"Good. Listen… most of the stuff in the fridge has gone bad, we're dwindling down and someone needs to try and go out for something."

Ed nearly fell over and he got to his feet. "Are you stupid?! You'll freeze to death out there!"

Al pouted. "Who said anything about me? You're the oldest."

"It was your idea!"

"You're stronger, and so full of hot air you could go out there with a speedo on and be perfectly comfortable."

Ed grumbled and stalked over to his brother, looking down at him with his own cheeks flaming. How long ago had it been since _he_ was the one looking up into someones eyes? Ed knew he wasn't the tallest kid on the block, but he had gown a bit in the time that he had managed to get Al back to normal. He smiled at the thought and ruffled his younger brothers hair.

"Alright, how about this. We wait for tomorrow, maybe the snow will let up long enough for us to make a break for the neighboors house. If they have enough, maybe they can stock us up a bit. Going out now would just be crazy."

"You mean… for _you_ to make a break for the neighboors house."

Ed growled and grabbed a fistfull of Al's hair and gave it a good yank. "Quite bold, arent we little brother!"

"Ow Ed! Come on!"

"Don't dish it out if you cant take it!"

"I didn't pull _your _hair!"

"Stop being such a wuss!"

"Shut up!"


	2. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"**O' Lovely Stranger"**

**Winry rubbed her nose gingerly, eyes watering as she squatted by the small hearth. She rubbed her hands together before the flames, skin turned bronze by the warm light, eyes heavy lidded. She sighed heavily, and glanced over her shoulder at Ed and Al's room. The two of them had been in there for a while leaving her to her own devices, but she wasn't complaining. It gave her a chance to recollect her wits. She had finished her breakfast half heartedly, which now sat in her gut like a lead brick, and had had the intention of confronting Ed about the whole diary thing… but his obvious tact to avoid having a conversation with her was enough to give her cold feet. **

"**Stupid." She muttered and stood to her full height, stretching her legs lazily. What was left to do now? Four days in a house with two men was driving her stir-crazy, boredom had its nasty claws in her and she feared what would come from it. Perhaps she would busy herself with cleaning?**

**She looked around the living room for something to occupy her time, but to her aggravation found that Al had cleaned the mess he and Ed had made earlier. She had straightened the house nearly three times since the storm hit, there wasn't much for her to do really, and the realization made her even more infuriated than she had felt before. **

**Maybe a game? **

**They had attempted to play old maid the second night of the storm, hadn't they? Her face dropped. That had ended horribly. Ed had cheated the entire game and couldn't accept defeat, so she had beat him until he had surrendered.**

"_**What do you mean a re-do?"**_

"_**Exactly what I said! This card sucks…"**_

"_**Why, you got the old maid? Haha!"**_

"_**This is so lame, I don't want to play anymore!"**_

"_**Oh come on, Ed! Its just a game."**_

"_**It's STUPID!"**_

**It had made **_**her **_**feel good, but Ed had been peeved for quite some time afterwards. Games and Edward didn't exactly click. So what then?**

**She looked out the window. The snow raged on outside, flakes slanted in the bitter wind rapping against the glass like a thousand tiny pebbles. If it wasn't so nasty outside, they could have had some fun out there, like when they had been younger. The thought made her smile slightly. **

**It had been before Ed and Al's mother had died, before things had gotten complicated. They couldn't wait for the snow back then. Hours they would play, snow angles and badly attempted snowmen. She really missed those days.**

**A door slammed down the hall and Winry jumped, eyes wide. She glanced over her shoulder as Ed and Al walked sullenly back into the living room, Ed's arms laden with more books and magazines. Winry fumed.**

"**You just don't know when to quit, do you?" She barked as she crossed her arms over her chest. **

**Ed rolled his eyes. "These aren't yours." He held up a magazine with a smiling young woman on the cover. **

**Winry narrowed her eyes and stepped closer. She ripped the book from his hand and nearly fell over laughing. "Love Cutie? Edward, is this **_**yours**_**?! This is a **_**girls**_** magazine!"**

**Ed snatched it back, his cheeks pink. "Yeah, and--?"**

**Al chortled from beside them and gave a half hearted shrug as he wandered into the kitchen. "I'm going to clean out the fridge, see what's still good and what's not. Try not to kill each other, okay?"**

**Winry watched him go and muttered. "Why is it that he's sounding more and more like a father rather than a stupid kid?"**

"**Because he's not a stupid kid anymore, Winry." Ed grumbled as he took the magazine from her hands and threw it into a pile beside him on the couch after taking a seat with a huff. **

**She watched him carefully as he shuffled through the giant stack of kindling applications with a slight frown. Why was it that he had to be so moody? She wasn't stupid, she knew that Al had grown considerably from everything that they had been through. Ugh, his emotions were more of a rollercoaster than hers were, and she was the one with all the estrogen! She took a seat beside him and busied herself with the untouched pile on his lap. She looked over the cover at the smiling young faces and opened it randomly. It opened to the horoscopes and she snorted. If she had been into that sort of thing, she would have read it. But those kinds of things were silly and ridiculous, for weak and insecure girls. **

**Well… it couldn't hurt to skim it.**

'**Lucky color: Yellow'**

**She looked over to Ed, eyes falling over his smooth blonde locks tied back in its trademark braid. His hair had grown, the long rope of hair nearly down to his waist now. Yellow.**

'**Beware of storms!'**

**Winry's face dropped. **_**Huh?**_

'**A chance encounter with a stranger may lead to relationship problems!'**

**Winry raised her brows nearly to her hair line. **_**Seriously? People actually believe this crap?**_

'**Mind yourself with something goes missing! Keep your cool and it will return!' **

… _**What?**_

'**Today Venus inspires us to tell our feelings and to be honest with ourselves! Don't hold back!'**

**Winry swallowed the lump in her throat and looked to Ed, cheeks flaming. It was pretty dead on. Her diary had gone missing, and the snow storm… but what was this stranger bull? She shook her head and looked back to the page. Horoscopes were crap.**

'**Don't eat bacon.'**

**Infuriated, Winry ripped the magazine clean in two and stomped over to the fire and threw both halves in with sick satisfaction, face flaming hot from embarrassment. She watched the pages curl, cute animal forms of all the signs turning brown and catching fire. It was a coincidence. Horoscopes were for silly insecure girls. Anyone who took them seriously deserved to be led around by the nose like a lost puppy.**

**And that bacon was DAMN good.**

**She turned around to take up her place beside Ed again, but was caught by his gaze, intense eyes looking straight through hers. What was this? She could feel the acute sensation of pins and needles in her arms, her legs feeling wobbly. She was nervous. She had never seen that look on his face before.**

**Her stomach went cold and her breakfast threatened to resurface at a sudden thought. **

_**Ohmigosh. Maybe he DID read my diary. **_

**It was possible. The expression on his face confirmed that **_**something**_** had climbed up his ass. She tried a weak smile and took a step towards him before he got to his feet, magazines and books clattering to the floor. Winry wasn't sure how to react as he closed the distance between them and tucked a few strands of wild platinum hair behind her ear. **

_**Breathe…. Remember to breathe, girl! **_**She reminded herself.**

"**Winry…" He began, hand lingering at the tip of her ear. **

**Winry laughed nervously, a high pitched giggle as she batted his hand away. "Edward! What's with all the seriousness! I'm going to go see what Al's up to!"**

**Coward. Just run away…**

**Ed caught her hand in his and held her fast as she turned. They stood there for the space of a heart beat, Winry unable to turn to face him for fear that her face would betray everything she had built to keep her emotions in check, Ed's warm hand clasped tight around hers, gentle yet firm, pleading with her not to run away without ever having to utter the words.**

"**Winry--"**

_**BANG! BANG!**_

The two jumped, Winry's hand slipping from Ed's grasp. She turned and looked to him with surprise. "Wha--?"

_**BANG BANG BANG!**_

"Is that the door?" Ed asked turning towards the foyer.

Winry's heart leapt into her throat and she hurried through the living room, Ed hot on her heels. He reached for her hand, halting her just inches from the front door. She turned to him with anger. What was his deal? Someone was out there!

"Winry, don't!"

"Are you serious?! If someone is out there, we have to let them in!"

Ed frowned as Winry ripped her hand from his and threw the large door open. Snow poured in through the door, soaked her feet and the bottom of her sweats. The wind was intense, bitter cold that sunk straight into her bones. Winry couldn't stop her teeth from chattering as she squinted her eyes against the slanted snow.

A hunched figure stood in their threshold, coat collar held up around his ears with blue tinged bare hands. He was soaked straight through his heavy jacket, frost adorning his bangs and the dark hair on his chin. Crystal blue eyes looked up with surprise, lips purple and quivering.

"Ah--!" Winry squeaked as he flopped forwards, crawling towards them until he managed to wrap his arms around Winry's legs. Her heart beat thunderously in her ears as she froze where she stood, unable to make her brain process what exactly her body was experiencing.

"T-T-Thank y-y-ou-u-u…" He muttered, face muffled in her sweatpants.

Edwards stalked past her and slammed the door shut, locking it before turning towards them. His face looked… strange.

"Lets get him to the living room, I'll grab some blankets and some dry clothes." He walked by her, shoulder lightly brushing hers before he called into the kitchen. "AL! Grab the kettle! We need to make something hot to drink!"

Winry watched his back before she looked down to the man clutching her for dear life. She gently pried him off her before she squatted down to look him in the eyes. "Are you… oh…"

His face was the color of cream, all hard angles and sharp planes. Handsome, to say the least. Long shaggy black hair clung to his eyebrows in clumps of ice, splashes of grey across his cheek. Frostbite?

He said nothing more, obviously because he was incapable of anything more than clattering his teeth. Winry offered him a warm smile, there would be time to figure out what the idiot had planned on accomplishing by going out in the middle of a damn blizzard later. "Let's get you warmed up."


	3. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"**Over The River And Through The Woods"**

**Edward stomped into the bedroom and ripped Al's comforter from his bed. Like hell he was going to give the frozen ape **_**his **_**blanket. His jaw ached, and he paused to open and close his mouth to relax the muscles; he hadn't realized that he had been clenching it so tightly. But the nerve of that guy! Wrapping himself around Winry like he knew her or something. It really got under his skin. **

**His face fell slightly. But it wasn't like she belonged to him, so this jealousy was pointless. Giving himself a quick shake, Ed wrapped the large comforter around his arms and made his way back towards the living room. Winry had the stranger sitting by the fire, all concern and gooey doe eyed. It made Ed want to throttle the man, but he opted for tossing the blanket at them instead, cheeks slightly pink. **

**Winry gave him a look, a slight twitch of her brow. He knew that look well. It was a warning, but he didn't heed it. Why should he? If she wanted to play nurse to Mr. Man-cicle, she was more than welcome to.**

"**I've got the kettle." Al whispered as he squeezed his way between Winry and the fire to perch the snow filled container over the open flame. He gave a half shrug. "No water, pipes must be frozen. I put some snow in there instead."**

"**Thank you, Al." Winry mumbled as she grabbed the comforter and wrapped it around the mans shoulders. He took it willingly, watching her with sleepy lidded eyes. **

"**I'm glad those clothes fit." Al said with a smile and placed his hands on his hips in a fatherly manner. The stranger merely nodded. **

"**What were you doing out there?" Winry asked softly. **

**Ed fumed from the other side of the couch. Why did she never talk to him in that sort of tone? It was always yelling and screaming with her. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Winry had her moments, moments when he could have sworn that she felt for him the same way he did for her, but her mood changed so fast there was no real way of really knowing without coming right out and asking. And there was no way he was going to embarrass himself like that.**

"**Isn't it obvious?" Ed muttered heading for the kitchen. "He's an idiot."**

"**EDWARD!" Winry and Al both chided at the same time.**

"**No. He's right." The stranger whimpered weakly. **

**Winry looked as though she had melted. She placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. "No, you're not an idiot!"**

**The man hung his head and sniffled. **

**Good God. Was he crying? Did anyone buy this crap?! And why was she touching him!**

**Ed scowled, crossing his arms over his chest as he paused beneath the threshold. He knew men like this. Played up women's feelings, used whatever sympathy card they could get their hands on and milked it until it was dry. This guy was obviously trouble.**

"**She… s-she got out, and I-I had t-t-o-o- find her!" The stranger sobbed.**

**Winry's eyes went glossy. **

**Ed gagged. **

**Al stared.**

"**Who?" Winry asked quickly. "If there's someone else out there, we should try to find her!"**

"**Dot. God, I l-left the d-d-door open!" **

"**Dot?" Ed asked incredulous. "And what were you doing leaving the door open in the middle of a blizzard anyway!"**

"**She h-had to pee." **

**The room went silent.**

"**P-Poop?" The man stuttered looking from one shocked face to the other. "Maybe both? Why a-are you looking at me like t-that?!"**

"**She… Pee's outside?" Al asked carefully.**

**Ed slapped a hand to his forehead. Of all the freaks, this one had to come to them of all people. "Oh for the love of--"**

"**And you're talking about a….?"**

"**D-Dog." **

"**Oh." They replied in unison. **

**Winry and Al chuckled, the stranger managed a smile, but Ed could only glare. He turned his back and entered the kitchen where he busied himself at the table with his arm. The cold had been making it stick, but that wasn't really that much of a bother. He just needed something to do so he wouldn't have to sit in the room with Winry all smitten over some dummy who just happened to be half dead on their doorstep. Talk about desperate.**

**Ed's face fell. That was wrong to say about her.**

"**Jealous much?" **

**Ed glanced over his shoulder at his brother and looked away, head hung between his shoulders. "Not really." **

**Why was it that Al always had to be so nosy?**

"**M-My name is Jacob." The man stuttered. **

**Al kept his face pleasant, but always had his eye on him. It wasn't that Jacob was a bad person, or at least he seemed honest enough, but one could never be too cautious with his home. The kettle still had a while to go, and Al got to his feet while Winry made small talk with him. **

**Al knew when there was something wrong with his brother, and he wasn't as stupid as to not know that Ed held some kind of love for Winry. Seeing her fawn over a stranger must be really upsetting. **

"**Jealous much?" An attempt at comic relief. **

**Ed glanced over his shoulder, and Al could see the slight trace of a blush. So he really was upset. Ed looked away and hung his head, blonde hair glittering in the dim candle light. "Not really." He responded dryly.**

**Al looked out the window with a grim smile. The sun should be setting right about now, if he wasn't mistaken. He looked back to Ed and heaved a heavy sigh as he closed the distance between them and sat down across the table from him. Al laced his fingers together in front of him and glared at them. **

**He cleared his throat. **

"**Edward,"**

"**If you plan on giving me an inspirational speech, I don't want to hear it."**

**Al raised his brows, surprised. "Edward--"**

"**I know its silly, that there's no reason for me to feel like this… but how can I not? He crawls into **_**our**_** house and clings to Winry like a lost child." Ed balled his hands into fists. "He…"**

**Al placed his hand over Eds. "Brother, it's okay. But you cant be mad at Winry. She's always been like this. Her concern for others is just--"**

"**No! This isn't right! I know how she is," He grit his teeth, "I know! Better than anyone! But… What about me, Al?"**

**Al stayed silent. He watched his brother carefully. So finally it's out in the open. As close as they were, not once had Ed ever told him about his real feelings for the girl who was so important in their lives. Al smiled. **

"**Ed, how is she to act when she has no idea that you feel so strongly about her? Is it wrong for her to act like a **_**girl**_** when you keep your usually big mouth shut?"**

**Ed brought his hand up and rubbed his eyes gingerly. Al raised his brows. Was he…?**

"**I'm going to go to bed. I don't feel well."**

**Al didn't try to stop him as he stormed away from the table, metal chair clanking loudly against the linoleum as it fell over on its side in his haste to get away. It was time to give Ed his space. Once he got himself back into a safer mindset, Al would talk to him again. **

"**So you live all the way on the other side of town? Are you crazy! That's nearly four miles of walking in a blizzard!" Winry asked incredulous. **

**Jacob nodded his head. He seemed to be a bit warmer, cheeks flushing slightly, speech becoming more normal. "Dot is very important to C-Celeste." **

**Oh. A woman.**

"**That doesn't mean that you should risk your life for her!" Winry huffed. **

**Jacob chuckled. "Celeste is my little sister. And it was my fault that Dot g-got out in the first place. I havent exactly been the b-best big brother in t-the world… I knew I couldn't disappoint her."**

**Winry's heart leapt into her throat. That had to be the sweetest thing that she had ever heard. He was so dedicated to his little sister, he would even risk his life for her! A thought struck her and she paled. "Ohmigosh, is she alone? Is she going to be okay? Should I go and see if she's alright? I don't mind! I can do it!"**

**Jacob placed his hand over hers and held it tightly. Winry's cheeks felt as though it were going to set her hair on fire. The blush deepened when she remembered her current state of dress. She hadn't even brushed her hair that morning! **

**Her eyes flicked up to the kitchen doorway, a flash of blonde hair dashing down the hall. Winry swallowed hard. Had that been Edward? She looked back to the kitchen, waiting for Al to come on out after him but was disappointed when he didn't emerge. Her heart fluttered in her chest and she smiled at Jacob. **

"**Excuse me, please."**

**Winry staggered to her feet and shakily padded into the kitchen. Al sat at the table with his head in his hands, the chair across from him upturned on the floor. Winry knew she should say something, that this situation required her to say something, to just ask, but her heart was in her throat. She couldn't speak. She couldn't think of anything to say. She felt that there was something wrong here, but she couldn't place her finger on it.**

**Al looked up from the table, his usual smile snapping back into place. But it was fake. Winry offered her own smile, but knew it was no better than a wince. She crossed her arms over her chest and eased her way over to him. **

"**Hey Al."**

"**Hey, Winry." **

**Winry reached down and righted the chair and took a seat across from him. They sat in silence for the space of a breath before she opened her mouth to speak, but Al beat her to the punch.**

"**Don't worry about it." **

**What was that supposed to mean? But the look on Al's face told her to drop it. So she did. She clasped her hands together under the table until her knuckles turned white. **

"**Ed just isn't feeling well. He'll be fine after he rests." Al offered.**

**Winry nodded. Lies lies lies. Secrets secrets secrets. What else was new. **

"**Over the River and Through the Woods." Jacob smiled from beneath his borrowed blankets, eyes watching the dancing flame from the hearth. "To Edwards house we go."**


End file.
